I apologize to those blog followers who have been checking faithfully for new posts, and have all but given up on me. What can I say…? Well, just to ease your fears, the answer is “no” – Sahar has not run away from our family, as we feared she might – she’s still here with us, safe and sound, and fitting in quite well. I thought she might run away after Caroline’s 4.5 hour dance recital, but thankfully, she was too tired to run. At the moment, we’re all vacationing at Hammock Beach, an oceanfront resort in Palm Coast, just south of Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
Updates on Sahar…
She has had two major dentist visits recently, both of which involved multiple tooth pullings and fillings, but she’s been a great patient. It’s such a blessing to have our own dentist and friend, Dr. Rick Mullens, working with Sahar – he and his staff could not be more gracious and caring towards Sahar and all the other Solace children.
Here’s a new flash – Sahar likes potato chips. Okay, maybe I should say she deeply loves and covets potato chips… We don’t have chips around that often, but one taste and Sahar was hooked. So, we’ve been keeping chips on the grocery list lately. I mean, this girl can sit down and eat a regular-sized bag of Ruffles in a matter of minutes. For those of you grimacing about us letting Sahar indulge on a less-than-healthy snack, I would invite you to come and watch Sahar eat the chips – I promise you’d let her eat them, too.
A unique bond has definitely formed between Caroline and Sahar – I would describe it as a sort-of little and big sister relationship. Sahar is very mature, and Caroline is – well, she’s our challenge (a sweet, beautiful challenge, but a challenge nonetheless). So, it’s nice to have someone else around (besides Sara and me) reminding Caroline to stay out of trouble, and Caroline typically responds to Sahar’s reminders quite well. At the same time, the two of them have become really good friends, and enjoy being silly girls together. Most of Caroline’s good friends have embraced Sahar as well, and it’s so neat to see all of them together, just being girls.
This blog has been a topic of discussion between Sara and me recently, mainly because of my delay in posting new entries. In general, Sara finds it funny that I am the blog author, since I, of all our family members, probably spend the least amount of time with Sahar. However, let me be clear in stating that Sara has full access and permission to post to this blog, also. Regardless, she’s not posting – and it actually all goes back to a fateful night in our marriage at least 10 years ago, when Sara was finishing her MBA and asked me to proofread a paper for her. I think I made some comments about her writing style, etc…you get the picture.
Sometimes I worry that Sahar thinks our family watches too much TV, because when we’re at home, the TV is often on. That’s simply what happens when you have three children who each have different preferences on TV programming, and they each hope to get to watch one of their shows each day. So, Sahar is taking in a good bit of Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, and some girly Disney Channel shows.
I wish I could read Sahar’s mind and know what she thinks about this experience with us – I mean, what she really thinks… Does she think we do too much or do too little? Is she immensely happy here, or is she homesick? I would love to be a fly on the wall when she returns to Afghanistan and first speaks with her friends and family.
More updates soon…
Bryan
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Overdue Update
My sincere apologies for the hiatus in new posts recently - I decided to take a break last weekend, and booked myself into the all-inclusive resort known as "Baptist Hospital-Downtown" for four long days, due to a pesky G.I. system issue. Thankfully, all is well and pretty much back to normal with our family now. Thanks to our friends who took such good care of my family during my time away.
In the absence of any inspired posts this week, I'll let some pictures do the talking...
Sahar & Caroline @ the Cummer Museum Gardens
The Jacksonville Solace Crowd @ Montgomery Presbyterian Center
Sahar & Caroline @ Sahar's 1st ever trip to the ocean
Sahar taking in the view...
In the absence of any inspired posts this week, I'll let some pictures do the talking...
Sahar & Caroline @ the Cummer Museum Gardens
The Jacksonville Solace Crowd @ Montgomery Presbyterian Center
Sahar & Caroline @ Sahar's 1st ever trip to the ocean
Sahar taking in the view...
Friday, June 11, 2010
News Story on Feroza
See this link for a First Coast News story on Feroza:
http://tinyurl.com/2cdyyzl
Her story is incredible.
http://tinyurl.com/2cdyyzl
Her story is incredible.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sleeping Children
I love to watch my children sleeping – it’s one of those “all is right with the world” times for me – I use the time to think about my children’s future…often to pray about those inevitable years when their mom and I will no longer be in control, but also to cherish the current moment. Last night, Sahar fell asleep early, and I had some of that time with her – yet, in this situation, I have had no control or influence on her life up to this point, and in five weeks, I relinquish that control…so, just like with my own children, I prayed about her future – a future in a land I have never even set foot upon. I came away, simply thinking that what our family must do is make all of the difference we can during the remaining time Sahar is here.
Sahar is in for a true “experience” next week…it’s the week of Caroline’s dance recital. Where do I even begin, in attempting to describe what that week involves each year? The stress is palpable…extra-long rehearsals, lost tights, shoes in need of last-minute painting, a little sleep deprivation…you get the picture. Heck, I am afraid of the dance studio all year long – I definitely would never set foot near the studio during the week of the recital. The recital itself is a true spectacle – flowers everywhere, coveted backstage passes, and when the auditorium doors open – there is running, yelling, and gnashing of teeth in the effort to get just the right seats. We’ll see how Sahar does with the experience…thus far, she’s just said, “No dancing in Afghanistan…”
Sahar and food – we’re doing well. She eats pretty much whatever we eat, and has developed a special affinity for pizza and Mickey-D’s (…not that we eat those things often or anything). Also on the subject of food, thanks to those awesome families who have provided us with meals this week – this experience takes a lot out of you, and not having to worry about the next meal is a huge, huge help.
Yesterday afternoon, all of us gathered with a professional photographer to take some family pictures with Sahar. Each of the host families will eventually do this – it gives each of the children a special picture to take back to Afghanistan. And of course, these are images I believe our family will always treasure, as well.
It’s been a week now since Sahar arrived – on the one hand, the time has passed quickly, and on the other, it seems she’s been here much longer (in a good way). She and Caroline are doing so well together now – a definite bond has formed. Tonight, Caroline mentioned to me that Sahar’s departure date in mid-July would be a sad day for her. I assured Caroline that, while it would be a sad day for us all, we should also realize that Sahar will be returning to what is familiar to her – to what she has known her entire life. And, I am so glad Sahar has a family in Afghanistan to whom she will return, regardless of whether she lives with them on a daily basis – there is a family who must be missing her now, and will welcome her back.
Next week, Sahar’s teeth will be further assessed – we are now pretty certain that her serious tooth decay is the source of her chronic headaches.
Thanks to those who have let me know you’re following the blog. The positive words of support have been greatly appreciated. If you want to let me know you’re following it or if you have a question you would like me to answer in a future post, feel free to e-mail me at bcoker1@ju.edu.
Bryan
Sahar is in for a true “experience” next week…it’s the week of Caroline’s dance recital. Where do I even begin, in attempting to describe what that week involves each year? The stress is palpable…extra-long rehearsals, lost tights, shoes in need of last-minute painting, a little sleep deprivation…you get the picture. Heck, I am afraid of the dance studio all year long – I definitely would never set foot near the studio during the week of the recital. The recital itself is a true spectacle – flowers everywhere, coveted backstage passes, and when the auditorium doors open – there is running, yelling, and gnashing of teeth in the effort to get just the right seats. We’ll see how Sahar does with the experience…thus far, she’s just said, “No dancing in Afghanistan…”
Sahar and food – we’re doing well. She eats pretty much whatever we eat, and has developed a special affinity for pizza and Mickey-D’s (…not that we eat those things often or anything). Also on the subject of food, thanks to those awesome families who have provided us with meals this week – this experience takes a lot out of you, and not having to worry about the next meal is a huge, huge help.
Yesterday afternoon, all of us gathered with a professional photographer to take some family pictures with Sahar. Each of the host families will eventually do this – it gives each of the children a special picture to take back to Afghanistan. And of course, these are images I believe our family will always treasure, as well.
It’s been a week now since Sahar arrived – on the one hand, the time has passed quickly, and on the other, it seems she’s been here much longer (in a good way). She and Caroline are doing so well together now – a definite bond has formed. Tonight, Caroline mentioned to me that Sahar’s departure date in mid-July would be a sad day for her. I assured Caroline that, while it would be a sad day for us all, we should also realize that Sahar will be returning to what is familiar to her – to what she has known her entire life. And, I am so glad Sahar has a family in Afghanistan to whom she will return, regardless of whether she lives with them on a daily basis – there is a family who must be missing her now, and will welcome her back.
Next week, Sahar’s teeth will be further assessed – we are now pretty certain that her serious tooth decay is the source of her chronic headaches.
Thanks to those who have let me know you’re following the blog. The positive words of support have been greatly appreciated. If you want to let me know you’re following it or if you have a question you would like me to answer in a future post, feel free to e-mail me at bcoker1@ju.edu.
Bryan
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Some Recent Pictures
Sahar & Solace friends @ San Marco Duck Pond Event
Caroline & Sahar @ San Marco Duck Pond Event
Belated Update
For those who have e-mailed or Facebooked and chastised me for not posting more frequent updates, I apologize – things have been busy…
The past few nights, as I have laid down for bed, I have thought, “there’s a young woman from Afghanistan sleeping under our roof, in the bed right next to our daughter”…I must say, it’s pretty cool. As I have previously stated, this experience is way outside of our family’s traditional comfort zone.
All of the host families have faced challenges already… Some have dealt with homesickness and tears, some have dealt with immediate medical needs and issues…there is a 7 year old boy who cannot hear or speak… There have been cases of head lice – it’s simply something that happens. However, the support network between the host families has already proven itself to be incredible and invaluable. The host families are an extraordinary group of people – while most of us reside in the same area of Jacksonville, not all of us knew each other before Solace. Angie Cosper, the Coordinator for Jacksonville’s Solace program, did a fantastic job recruiting these families – what a giving, caring, enthusiastic group.
One more quick word about the whole “orphanage” concept… I have learned that this Afghan concept of an orphanage, which differs from our American understanding, has a definite basis... Children in Afghan “orphanages” may still have families, but these families have sent them to an orphanage, where they will receive an education, and are most likely to be kept safe.
Some have asked if I saw the anonymous online comments posted about the news stories on Solace last week. Yes, I saw and glanced at some of them – of course, the closed-minded, racist, offensive comments were unfortunate. Some folks asked why we are helping Afghan children and not children in our own country – I suppose that’s a fair question. My response is that we should be doing all we can for our children here and abroad…to simply ignore the global needs would be naïve and irresponsible. I would also recommend that those naysayers learn more about the plight of the war-torn Afghan people, especially the children – it is a very different world from what we know.
For those of you who share Rhodes College connections with Sara and me, I have to brag about a couple of our fellow alumni. Not only is Dr. Chris Emanuel serving as one of the lead pediatricians for the Jacksonville Solace program, but children with Orthopedic needs are seeing Dr. Rick Picerno (married to Andrea Rose Picerno), also Rhodes alums.
Sahar has quickly become a part of our family. Yesterday afternoon, Sara heard her yell “Stop!” at Willam (in a big sister kind of way), when he was incessantly bugging her. William wasn’t deterred, and continued his annoyance. Sahar has also discovered our Wii and managed to beat both Caroline and William in bowling (she says she’s never bowled before?). We’ve also learned that Sahar is extremely social. The other 15 Afghan children seem to flock to her, and are frequent visitors to our house.
There’s much more I want to say, but must save it for later – thanks for the continued interest. I will do my best to provide more updates soon.
Bryan
The past few nights, as I have laid down for bed, I have thought, “there’s a young woman from Afghanistan sleeping under our roof, in the bed right next to our daughter”…I must say, it’s pretty cool. As I have previously stated, this experience is way outside of our family’s traditional comfort zone.
All of the host families have faced challenges already… Some have dealt with homesickness and tears, some have dealt with immediate medical needs and issues…there is a 7 year old boy who cannot hear or speak… There have been cases of head lice – it’s simply something that happens. However, the support network between the host families has already proven itself to be incredible and invaluable. The host families are an extraordinary group of people – while most of us reside in the same area of Jacksonville, not all of us knew each other before Solace. Angie Cosper, the Coordinator for Jacksonville’s Solace program, did a fantastic job recruiting these families – what a giving, caring, enthusiastic group.
One more quick word about the whole “orphanage” concept… I have learned that this Afghan concept of an orphanage, which differs from our American understanding, has a definite basis... Children in Afghan “orphanages” may still have families, but these families have sent them to an orphanage, where they will receive an education, and are most likely to be kept safe.
Some have asked if I saw the anonymous online comments posted about the news stories on Solace last week. Yes, I saw and glanced at some of them – of course, the closed-minded, racist, offensive comments were unfortunate. Some folks asked why we are helping Afghan children and not children in our own country – I suppose that’s a fair question. My response is that we should be doing all we can for our children here and abroad…to simply ignore the global needs would be naïve and irresponsible. I would also recommend that those naysayers learn more about the plight of the war-torn Afghan people, especially the children – it is a very different world from what we know.
For those of you who share Rhodes College connections with Sara and me, I have to brag about a couple of our fellow alumni. Not only is Dr. Chris Emanuel serving as one of the lead pediatricians for the Jacksonville Solace program, but children with Orthopedic needs are seeing Dr. Rick Picerno (married to Andrea Rose Picerno), also Rhodes alums.
Sahar has quickly become a part of our family. Yesterday afternoon, Sara heard her yell “Stop!” at Willam (in a big sister kind of way), when he was incessantly bugging her. William wasn’t deterred, and continued his annoyance. Sahar has also discovered our Wii and managed to beat both Caroline and William in bowling (she says she’s never bowled before?). We’ve also learned that Sahar is extremely social. The other 15 Afghan children seem to flock to her, and are frequent visitors to our house.
There’s much more I want to say, but must save it for later – thanks for the continued interest. I will do my best to provide more updates soon.
Bryan
Saturday, June 5, 2010
No More Dari for Dad
Okay, so the term “orphanage” loses something in translation between the United States and Afghanistan. As I currently understand it, Sahar is part of what is called an “orphanage” in Kabul, yet she has a family in Kabul as well, with a mom, dad, uncle, grandfather, brothers, and sisters. She lives at the “orphanage” during the week, and typically goes home on the weekend. So, it’s kind of like a boarding school – maybe? When I posed that question to the interpreters, I got an answer of “well, yes and no…” So, we are confused… It’s not a big deal – we just simply want to gain an understanding of Sahar’s life in Afghanistan – I think (and hope) we will gradually gain more of that understanding as the days go by.
Sahar has now had visits with the dentist, optometrist, and pediatrician. The dentist discovered serious tooth decay, which very well could be related to her chronic headaches. Thus, Sahar will most likely be spending some more quality time with our dentist soon. Everything checked out just fine at the optometrist and the pediatrician. Sara, who has accompanied Sahar to the appointments, has shared with me wonderful stories of the caring doctors, nurses, and staff members who have been seeing these children.
We’ve learned that Sahar is undoubtedly a nurturer. In the pictures we received of the Solace group in route to America, Sahar was always holding Hussein, a 5-year old boy – the youngest in the Solace group. Since Sahar’s been here with us, she constantly gives attention to Chris, our 20 month old – she loves to hold him, play with him, etc. Chris, as our third child, loves the extra attention. William also adores Sahar, and Caroline has definitely established a bond with her now – there’s been lots of girl giggling over the past 24 hours…I guess that giggling is a universal thing.
We had our scheduled meeting with Sahar and one of the interpreters yesterday evening. Of course, by the time our meeting rolled around, we had learned that Sahar actually knows a significant amount of English. She knows basic English quite well. What the interpreter meeting did reveal to me, personally, is that I need to stop trying to speak Dari with Sahar… I realized that when I told Sahar in Dari that our dog Allie was “wild”, I was telling her that Allie would bite her. It also seems I erroneously told her on her first day that we were going swimming in the river. So, my family has now banned me from additional attempts to speak Dari – probably a good idea. The interpreter shared with us her assessment of Sahar’s outstanding potential – apparently, she’s an amazing student, and the interpreter, currently a student at the University of Richmond, hopes that Sahar could one day return to America for college, as well.
While we’re still facing some challenges, Sahar seems to become more comfortable with our family every day, and vice versa. We’re really looking forward to Sahar attending church with us tomorrow, so the wonderful people at our church who helped finance her journey here can finally meet her. We’re also looking forward to dinner tomorrow evening with the other host families, children, and interpreters.
Please continue to keep all 16 of the Afghan children, the 2 interpreters, and the many host families in your prayers. Many of the children and their host families still have challenging journeys ahead, from the medical perspective. These are 16 of God’s very precious children, who have so incredibly much to offer and share. We feel quite blessed to have one of them sharing in the life of our family.
Bryan
Sahar has now had visits with the dentist, optometrist, and pediatrician. The dentist discovered serious tooth decay, which very well could be related to her chronic headaches. Thus, Sahar will most likely be spending some more quality time with our dentist soon. Everything checked out just fine at the optometrist and the pediatrician. Sara, who has accompanied Sahar to the appointments, has shared with me wonderful stories of the caring doctors, nurses, and staff members who have been seeing these children.
We’ve learned that Sahar is undoubtedly a nurturer. In the pictures we received of the Solace group in route to America, Sahar was always holding Hussein, a 5-year old boy – the youngest in the Solace group. Since Sahar’s been here with us, she constantly gives attention to Chris, our 20 month old – she loves to hold him, play with him, etc. Chris, as our third child, loves the extra attention. William also adores Sahar, and Caroline has definitely established a bond with her now – there’s been lots of girl giggling over the past 24 hours…I guess that giggling is a universal thing.
We had our scheduled meeting with Sahar and one of the interpreters yesterday evening. Of course, by the time our meeting rolled around, we had learned that Sahar actually knows a significant amount of English. She knows basic English quite well. What the interpreter meeting did reveal to me, personally, is that I need to stop trying to speak Dari with Sahar… I realized that when I told Sahar in Dari that our dog Allie was “wild”, I was telling her that Allie would bite her. It also seems I erroneously told her on her first day that we were going swimming in the river. So, my family has now banned me from additional attempts to speak Dari – probably a good idea. The interpreter shared with us her assessment of Sahar’s outstanding potential – apparently, she’s an amazing student, and the interpreter, currently a student at the University of Richmond, hopes that Sahar could one day return to America for college, as well.
While we’re still facing some challenges, Sahar seems to become more comfortable with our family every day, and vice versa. We’re really looking forward to Sahar attending church with us tomorrow, so the wonderful people at our church who helped finance her journey here can finally meet her. We’re also looking forward to dinner tomorrow evening with the other host families, children, and interpreters.
Please continue to keep all 16 of the Afghan children, the 2 interpreters, and the many host families in your prayers. Many of the children and their host families still have challenging journeys ahead, from the medical perspective. These are 16 of God’s very precious children, who have so incredibly much to offer and share. We feel quite blessed to have one of them sharing in the life of our family.
Bryan
Friday, June 4, 2010
The first 24 hours...or so...
If I could somehow get paid lots of money to worry as much one could possibly worry, I would be a multi-millionaire. And, I would have doubled my income on the night prior to Sahar’s arrival. That was a challenging night at the Coker house – those proverbial moments just before we took the big plunge. Since we first decided to participate in Solace, I had been overly concerned about the age of the child we would host. I was adamant that we have a child close in age to Caroline, and definitely not older than Caroline, who turns 9 today – I didn’t really have any good reasoning or justification for that, but was adamant about it, nonetheless. So, I was uneasy when I first learned that Sahar, the child we would host, was 11 years old. However, when we received a picture of her a couple of months ago, and she looked so sweet – I told myself it would be okay. Then, just around midnight on Tuesday night (the evening prior to Sahar’s arrival), Angie Cosper e-mailed to all the host families pictures of the Solace children in route to America. At first, Sara and I couldn’t even identify Sahar in any of those pictures. Then, by process of elimination, we found her, and she looked 18, and very tall. So, I – at that point – kind of freaked out. I didn’t sleep a wink that night, and obsessively worried about how we could possibly tell Caroline the next morning that she would soon be sharing her room with a very tall 18 year old.
The next (dreaded) morning, I was reminded of just why I married the woman with whom I have spent almost 14 years now. Sara showed Caroline those pictures, and handled the conversation with an ease and style that left me speechless. And, then I watched Caroline’s reaction to what Sara had said, and I immediately became one proud Daddy. Then, I began feeling like a real idiot for the way in which I had reacted – all night long.
I also reached a realization that morning – okay, Sara told me – that few of the visiting children were matched with host families having children the same age as the visiting children. And, I realized there was probably a good reason for that, based on experience well beyond any experience I had with the program (which was none, at that point). So, I felt like an even bigger idiot.
Next, we ventured to the airport, and in the hour we spent waiting on the children to arrive, I felt a growing level of love, energy, and anticipation like I have rarely experienced before. Sara, the kids, and I were there, Dorothy (Sara’s mom) and Stephen (brother) were there. Rev. Susan Takis, one of our Pastors from South Jax Presbyterian, was there. All of the host families and their supporters were there. The media, including our friend, Deanna Fene’ Holland, from First Coast News was there with cameraman in tow. Then, Angie Cosper ventured past the security checkpoint to escort the children from the plane to the awaiting throng of supporters. It was a great moment when we watched Angie and the group of Afghan children round the corner, and begin heading toward us. Then, I realized something – these kids were all really short, and while Sahar was tall relative to many of them, she definitely was not the WNBA star I had pictured in the previous hours. Essentially, what I saw at that moment was an absolutely beautiful group of children, all with hope beaming from their faces. Then, we saw Sahar and she saw us, holding a sign with her picture on it – then, we met her – what an amazing, emotional moment that was. Wow.
We had some time with the interpreters to make introductions, and then we headed home, with Chris fussing from lack of a nap, most of the way. The next few hours were, overall, good – there were some challenges and adjustments for all of us, but I think we all – including Sahar – handled it well. Sahar was, understandably, exhausted. Our family is approaching every challenge and interaction with the constant awareness that this is a young woman who resides in an orphanage on the other side of the world. We cannot even imagine her frame of reference on life, on America, and on us.
Sahar is very reserved and quiet, so, engaging her has been a challenge for us (as if the substantial language barrier was not enough already). I believe I drove her nuts the first day, following her around the house with my 80-page Dari to English translation guide, pointing out everything we encountered in her language (…sofa, lamp, etc…).
I could say so much more, but my allotted blogging time has expired for now – I’ll provide more info later, including a report from the numerous medical appointments, which Sahar begins today, as well as our coveted time with an interpreter scheduled for this evening. And finally, Happy 9th Birthday to our Sweet Caroline!!
Bryan
The next (dreaded) morning, I was reminded of just why I married the woman with whom I have spent almost 14 years now. Sara showed Caroline those pictures, and handled the conversation with an ease and style that left me speechless. And, then I watched Caroline’s reaction to what Sara had said, and I immediately became one proud Daddy. Then, I began feeling like a real idiot for the way in which I had reacted – all night long.
I also reached a realization that morning – okay, Sara told me – that few of the visiting children were matched with host families having children the same age as the visiting children. And, I realized there was probably a good reason for that, based on experience well beyond any experience I had with the program (which was none, at that point). So, I felt like an even bigger idiot.
Next, we ventured to the airport, and in the hour we spent waiting on the children to arrive, I felt a growing level of love, energy, and anticipation like I have rarely experienced before. Sara, the kids, and I were there, Dorothy (Sara’s mom) and Stephen (brother) were there. Rev. Susan Takis, one of our Pastors from South Jax Presbyterian, was there. All of the host families and their supporters were there. The media, including our friend, Deanna Fene’ Holland, from First Coast News was there with cameraman in tow. Then, Angie Cosper ventured past the security checkpoint to escort the children from the plane to the awaiting throng of supporters. It was a great moment when we watched Angie and the group of Afghan children round the corner, and begin heading toward us. Then, I realized something – these kids were all really short, and while Sahar was tall relative to many of them, she definitely was not the WNBA star I had pictured in the previous hours. Essentially, what I saw at that moment was an absolutely beautiful group of children, all with hope beaming from their faces. Then, we saw Sahar and she saw us, holding a sign with her picture on it – then, we met her – what an amazing, emotional moment that was. Wow.
We had some time with the interpreters to make introductions, and then we headed home, with Chris fussing from lack of a nap, most of the way. The next few hours were, overall, good – there were some challenges and adjustments for all of us, but I think we all – including Sahar – handled it well. Sahar was, understandably, exhausted. Our family is approaching every challenge and interaction with the constant awareness that this is a young woman who resides in an orphanage on the other side of the world. We cannot even imagine her frame of reference on life, on America, and on us.
Sahar is very reserved and quiet, so, engaging her has been a challenge for us (as if the substantial language barrier was not enough already). I believe I drove her nuts the first day, following her around the house with my 80-page Dari to English translation guide, pointing out everything we encountered in her language (…sofa, lamp, etc…).
I could say so much more, but my allotted blogging time has expired for now – I’ll provide more info later, including a report from the numerous medical appointments, which Sahar begins today, as well as our coveted time with an interpreter scheduled for this evening. And finally, Happy 9th Birthday to our Sweet Caroline!!
Bryan
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Great News Coverage
Some great local news coverage worth checking out...
First Coast News story on the Solace for the Children program…(click on the video link). Many thanks to Deanna Fene' Holland for this great story.
Article from the Florida Times-Union
More info/updates to come soon...
Bryan
First Coast News story on the Solace for the Children program…(click on the video link). Many thanks to Deanna Fene' Holland for this great story.
Article from the Florida Times-Union
More info/updates to come soon...
Bryan
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Amazing!
Sahar and the other 15 children and 2 interpreters have arrived safe and sound! The past 24 hours have been an emotional roller coaster of sorts, but it all came together around 10:30 AM this morning, when the children and interpreters arrived to an amazing crowd at the airport. I can’t quite articulate right now (didn’t sleep a wink last night) just what an amazing experience the airport arrival was. Love is an amazing language – love is just an amazing thing… I’ll do my best to write more soon – for now, just enjoy the pics…
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
“It will change you…”
First, I would encourage any of you following the blog to view a video about Solace for the Children at the site below, if you have not already seen it – the video provides a great glimpse into what this program is all about:
http://www.solaceforthechildren.org/press_video.html.
Question of the day – How comfortable are Afghans with goo in the refrigerator? Sara and I pondered this question last night, as we debated which one of us would be cleaning up the strange goo which was visible at the bottom of one of the produce bins in our refrigerator. We thought the goo might freak out Sahar, and so I ended up cleaning it…
Also last night, I sat in our family room, contemplating the fact that, if all goes as planned, Sahar would be sleeping under our roof in less than 48 hours now. (Well, I hope she will be sleeping…I am, admittedly, a little nervous about potential disruptions in our routines [i.e., sleep]). The anticipated arrival time for the Solace children is tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, around 10:15 AM Eastern Time at Jacksonville airport. Yesterday afternoon, we hosted a get-together at our home, where many of the host families came together to make “welcome” signs for our airport greeting. Of course, we fully realize the Afghan children will not be able to read our festive “welcome” signs, written in the English language, but surely the general spectacle will get their attention and convey our excitement.
When Patsy Wilson, the Executive Director of Solace, visited our home a few months ago, we discussed our family’s decision to participate in this program, and I vividly remember Patsy saying, “It will change you forever…” At this point, I wonder just how this experience will change our family. What’s amazing, though, is the impact the experience is already having upon our family… Our children have already had their minds opened to the reality of a world starkly different from their everyday existence – undoubtedly, a privileged existence. I have enjoyed some priceless conversations in the car with William recently, about orphanages and about life in Afghanistan. We recently heard from Caroline’s 3rd grade teacher about just how much Caroline has been thinking about this adventure – it’s been the topic of her journals and many conversations in recent months.
As for our anticipated schedule in the coming days… We expect that Sahar and the other children will arrive exhausted, and in need of sleep. Then, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the children will then begin the process of complete dental, optical, and medical screenings. We’re quite excited about having one of the interpreters to our home for dinner on Friday evening – this will be our first opportunity to attempt a legitimate “conversation” of sorts with Sahar. There is so much we will want to know about her…her background, her daily life, her initial impressions of life with our family, etc.
We anticipate the Afghan children will arrive with very little in the way of luggage and possessions… So, Sara and Caroline have already been clothes shopping for Sahar, simply guessing her size from the one snapshot photo of her we currently have. Dorothy (Sara’s mom) is ready and on-call Wednesday, to make a run to Target, in the event we have guessed incorrectly her size.
As you are reading this, the 16 Afghan children and 2 interpreters have already begun their journey to America. Please hold these children and the interpreters close in prayer, as well as the families here who anxiously await their arrival. Much more to come soon…
Bryan
http://www.solaceforthechildren.org/press_video.html.
Question of the day – How comfortable are Afghans with goo in the refrigerator? Sara and I pondered this question last night, as we debated which one of us would be cleaning up the strange goo which was visible at the bottom of one of the produce bins in our refrigerator. We thought the goo might freak out Sahar, and so I ended up cleaning it…
Also last night, I sat in our family room, contemplating the fact that, if all goes as planned, Sahar would be sleeping under our roof in less than 48 hours now. (Well, I hope she will be sleeping…I am, admittedly, a little nervous about potential disruptions in our routines [i.e., sleep]). The anticipated arrival time for the Solace children is tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, around 10:15 AM Eastern Time at Jacksonville airport. Yesterday afternoon, we hosted a get-together at our home, where many of the host families came together to make “welcome” signs for our airport greeting. Of course, we fully realize the Afghan children will not be able to read our festive “welcome” signs, written in the English language, but surely the general spectacle will get their attention and convey our excitement.
When Patsy Wilson, the Executive Director of Solace, visited our home a few months ago, we discussed our family’s decision to participate in this program, and I vividly remember Patsy saying, “It will change you forever…” At this point, I wonder just how this experience will change our family. What’s amazing, though, is the impact the experience is already having upon our family… Our children have already had their minds opened to the reality of a world starkly different from their everyday existence – undoubtedly, a privileged existence. I have enjoyed some priceless conversations in the car with William recently, about orphanages and about life in Afghanistan. We recently heard from Caroline’s 3rd grade teacher about just how much Caroline has been thinking about this adventure – it’s been the topic of her journals and many conversations in recent months.
As for our anticipated schedule in the coming days… We expect that Sahar and the other children will arrive exhausted, and in need of sleep. Then, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the children will then begin the process of complete dental, optical, and medical screenings. We’re quite excited about having one of the interpreters to our home for dinner on Friday evening – this will be our first opportunity to attempt a legitimate “conversation” of sorts with Sahar. There is so much we will want to know about her…her background, her daily life, her initial impressions of life with our family, etc.
We anticipate the Afghan children will arrive with very little in the way of luggage and possessions… So, Sara and Caroline have already been clothes shopping for Sahar, simply guessing her size from the one snapshot photo of her we currently have. Dorothy (Sara’s mom) is ready and on-call Wednesday, to make a run to Target, in the event we have guessed incorrectly her size.
As you are reading this, the 16 Afghan children and 2 interpreters have already begun their journey to America. Please hold these children and the interpreters close in prayer, as well as the families here who anxiously await their arrival. Much more to come soon…
Bryan
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